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We don't have the NJHS at our school. I'm not sure that OP makes the case for shortchanging the boys be her example, but it is an interesting questions.
Much of the language arts and social studies curriculum seems to be formatted in a way to be quite boring to males, in the early elementary grades.
It doesn't get better in secondary school when the curriculum is filled with girly books. My son is reading Little Women this summer for summer reading. I can't think of anything more boring for a middle school boy.
It doesn't get better in secondary school when the curriculum is filled with girly books. My son is reading Little Women this summer for summer reading. I can't think of anything more boring for a middle school boy.
Weren't there other choices?
If he has to read something by Louisa May Alcott, perhaps he could read Under the Lilacs which is less well known, but has a better theme for a boy - circuses and running away and teaching a dog tricks.
I saw some research stating that boys prefer non-fiction, while teachers, most of whom are women, prefer that students read stories. I know that as a child, I loved reading the encyclopedia. Why can't kids be given a choice? Biographies are wonderful reading for elementary and middle-school age kids. But Little Women for All? Yuck!!!
Our district has almost completely shied away from assigning what I consider literature in favor of topical fiction. The only exceptions that I can see are an autobiography for rising 8th-graders and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings for rising juniors. Gone is To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and 1984, all victims of lowered standards. I guess they were just too difficult and "irrelevant".
It doesn't get better in secondary school when the curriculum is filled with girly books. My son is reading Little Women this summer for summer reading. I can't think of anything more boring for a middle school boy.
Our schools tend to favor the boys pre- HS for the summer reading lists. I remember when my daughter was going into 6th grade it seemed that every book had a boy, a dog and/or a dying mother as the main characters. We figured the teachers were trying to keep the boys reading and thinking that the girls wouldn't care or at least, not complain. Once the kids get to HS, it's more classical or historical lit.
Our summer reading program for middle school here has a list of twenty books and the kids are supposed to read 4 of them over the summer and then do an online report. The books are a mix of fiction and nonfiction and are all winners of the Texas Bluebonnet award. They also seem to have a mix of books that appeal to different kinds of children
THE TEXAS BLUEBONNET COMMITTEE AND THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION SPONSOR THE TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD READING LIST FOR GRADES 3-6 SOLELY TO ENCOURAGE FREE VOLUNTARY READING.
Nobody reads books over the summer, they go outside, and inteact with people and grow. I do not know what books. I just wented on the website to see what kind of books you was talking about. I see the title names, I remember as a kid I never really like reading those books. I see some kids did and did not. Apparently intergrating cultural, historical, and some biblical tones. I understand that adult reading would, hurt some peoples "method of thinking".
But children needs to have civics, in which they could read about current events that are neither bad or good, and know what is occuring, and love the information they recieve.
American children from my stand point, starts to apreciate their nation, at their lowest point in life. Even to love their actions in life. Whatever they are attached to the most, that will be their starting point, in terms of reading.
Or you could just throw out your televisions, and cancel your internet subscriptions, and cell phones.
I saw some research stating that boys prefer non-fiction, while teachers, most of whom are women, prefer that students read stories. I know that as a child, I loved reading the encyclopedia. Why can't kids be given a choice? Biographies are wonderful reading for elementary and middle-school age kids. But Little Women for All? Yuck!!!
Our district has almost completely shied away from assigning what I consider literature in favor of topical fiction. The only exceptions that I can see are an autobiography for rising 8th-graders and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings for rising juniors. Gone is To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and 1984, all victims of lowered standards. I guess they were just too difficult and "irrelevant".
Strictly from my own observations boys like biographies because what was once usually taught in school, is held back from them in the early elementary grades....learning about people like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson(or insert any other male historical figure here).
We visited Washington DC not too long ago. My son had tons of questions. I answered what I could, but it did frustrate me that I knew some of what he was asking about could have been covered in school.
If he has to read something by Louisa May Alcott, perhaps he could read Under the Lilacs which is less well known, but has a better theme for a boy - circuses and running away and teaching a dog tricks.
Nope. 8th grade honors is Little Women. When my older son was in 9th grade he read Pride and Prejudice, another girly book.
Nobody reads books over the summer, they go outside, and inteact with people and grow.
Our kids have to read two novels, which are determined by the teachers. They have to write reports on the books and are tested on them during the first week of school.
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